First Course
For anyone interested in Indian culture and cuisine or someone who has never had the opportunity to enjoy the flavorful and intense tastes of India the Varli Food Festival is a not to be missed event. Join Varli Magazine, "The Ultimate Guide to Great Indian Dining" at the Metropolitan Pavillion (125 West 18th Street) on Thursday April 5th at 5 p.m. for the second annual Varli Food Festival, hosted by Emmy-nominated Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi. The festival will also feature a live cooking show demonstration from award winning Master Chef, Sanjeev Kapoor, the host of the popular Indian cooking series, “Khana Khazana,” winner of the ‘Best Cookery Show’ by the Indian Television Academy for the passed twelve years.
The flowers are in bloom and there's that special something in the air that no other season has. Yes, spring is finally here and with the changing of the seasons comes the changing of your cocktails. Say goodbye to Hot Toddy's and Mulled Wine and say hello to these delicious classic spring cocktails that are easy enough to make at home.
Bees Knees
This is a fairly classic cocktail that most people overlook because of the gin. The strong flavor turns off plenty of people as do the horror stories that always start with "So I finished a bottle of gin" and ends with "and somehow I woke up in jail." Don't believe them! Gin is great for the summer because of its unique taste and the Bees Knees is a simple, yet delicious cocktail. The honey mellows the juniper taste and the lemon juice adds brightness.
Spice Market always pleases, and now, they are updating their fabulous $24 prix fixe lunch menu to kick off the Spring and Summer seasons! The menu will rotate every two weeks to reflect chef Anthony Ricco's favorites and showcase what's in season. You will now be able to eat the prix fixe menu items on their outdoor patio and watch NYCers go about their day. The current menu is as follows:
Spice Market Prix Fixe Lunch Menu - Spring 2012
1st course
-Chilled Cucumber Broth, Soba Noodle and Mint
Now that winter has come and gone, and the warm weather approaches, it is now time to start exploring where to shop for your local produce. Forget about the supermarket, why settle for the not-as-fresh ingredients?
It is no news that farmer's market have increased in popularity throughout the last decade. New York now is ranked number 2 in the country for having the most farmer's markets; we now have over 500 markets throughout the entire state.
For farmers, it is a great opportunity to get themselves out there and market their fresh produce in the community they sell to. It also helps them raise their reputation and gain popularity. For the customer, it allows them to purchase seasonal items of quality. Here are the latest New York farmer's markets coming to a neighborhood near you!
The Bedford (110 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg) held a special sneak preview of their newly appointed Executive Chef Jason Michael Giordano’s forthcoming Tavern Menu last night in their I-Beam barroom. Jason’s new contemporary American pub snack menu was inspired by the dinner served at the White House during President Lincoln’s inaugural dinner. With such an original concept a lot of research had to be done to recreate these dishes that time had forgotten. The Tavern Menu uses old world techniques with classic American ingredients to create dishes such as arancini (risotto balls), fried duck rillette (similar to pâté), devils on horseback (bacon-wrapped dates filled with cheese), and others. Diners also enjoyed a basket of delicately fried kale chips while snacking on the Tavern Menu sampler.
Spices make our dishes complex and tasty but they’re an important part of a wholesome diet as well. Besides being delicious the spices in our foods may be helping our bodies combat against common diseases and ailments. There are five spices essential to your spice cabinets that aren’t just a great addition to your favorite dinner but for your overall health.
1. Turmeric: Known for its bright yellow color turmeric is a member of the ginger family and found in practically all curry spice blends. Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Studies have even shown that turmeric may help to protect your body against certain types of cancers. Next time you’re making a stir-fry, add turmeric into the oil before the vegetables are added.
Have any plans this Saturday? On March 31st, bust out of your shell and celebrate National Clams on the Half Shell Day. No one quite knows the origin on how this fun-fest of clams began but the point is to enjoy them on their shell, if you like them. We have the places you can go to slurp them down, one at a time.
Clams, surprisingly, have more iron than beef and contain about the same amount of protein as chicken. They also have lower contaminants than most fish or shellfish and contain an exceptionally high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart.
In Watkinsville, Georgia, about ten miles outside of Athens, a local steakhouse, Chops & Hops, debuted a new steak and bleu cheese sandwich to mix reviews. Not because patrons didn't enjoy the sandwich but because of the way in which the steakhouse decided to advertise their menu addition. On Saturday, Chops & Hops published a picture to their Facebook of their new sandwich, "Black and Blue,” accompanied by this quote:
“@chrisbrown @rihanna and us teamed up for a [sic] award winning celebrity sandwich. Put your hands on this Caribbean black and bleu sandwich. Chris Brown won’t beat you up for eating this unless your name starts with a R and ends with A.”
Nicolas Palazzi of PM Spirits, who specializes in sourcing rare spirits, will be leading a tasting of Pineau des Charentes and Cognac with specially paired cheeses tomorrow, March 29th from 6:30-8:30pm. Nicolas was born to a family of winemakers in Bordeaux. He learned the art and science of Cognac under the tutelage of his grandfather's best friend, whose family started distilling around 1702.
During the event, Nicolas will guide you through a tasting of old Pineau des Charentes, a combination of Cognac and unfermented grape must (both red & white). These Pineaux are harvested by hand and some are made with six year old cognac and are bottled only when the right proof is achieved naturally. These libations will be paired each with a different cheese, selected carefully by artisan organic cheese importer, Seymour Pond of Pondini. Next, Nicolas will take you through some of the best cognacs and explain the distillation process and how different styles are created. All of the cognacs will also be paired with specially selected cheeses. What's on tap for the evening? Check out exactly what will be served below: